Newspaper Page Text
X “
| VOLUME 17 No. 839
XY 1A g o
T //
e |/
Morris gobbles up
Columbia Co. weekly
WAugusta Chronicle
owner solidifies grab
for metropolitan area’s
most important legal
organs.
By Frederick Benjamin Sr.
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
William S. Morris, publisher of
The Augusta Chroncle, solidified
his hold on the newspaper scene
in the Augusta area with the pur
chase of the News Times and The
. Augusta Regional
m d Business Journal
5 this week. Both
m & publications were
. owned by Colum
mm bia County mil
lionaire Timothy
Shelnut. Shelnut had acquired the
publications less than a year ago.
The selling price of the newspaper
was not disclosed.
When staffers of theNewsTimes
reported to work on Wednesday,
they learned of the sale from
Shelnut.
News Times editor Barry Pas
chal, a former Augusta Chronicle
editorial writer, was caught to
tally by surprise.
::“Iheard today just like everyone
élse did,” Paschal told Augusta
Focus just hours after the an
nouncement. Under Paschal’s
leadership, the newspaper took an
aggressive editorial stance, often
-being directly critical of The
Chronicle. “I had always thought,
come hell or high water, my boss
[Shelnut] would be in it for five
years,” Paschal said.
Shelnut was in it for a little over
seven months. The Columbia
County developer who made his
fortune in insurance and whoowns
hundreds of acres of land in Co
lumbia County acquired the
News Times and The Journal in
Asian crisis may hold
silver lining for U.S.
MWhile some businesses will
be adversely affected by the
Asian financial freefall, U.S.
consumers may benefit at
the cash register.
By Sally Jocobsen
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Business Writer
NEW YORX
~" General Motors Corp. is gearing up to
-move into Indonesia in a big way. Hewlett-
Packard is talkingto suppliers about increas
-ing Asian-made components in its high-tech
goods. And Dell Computer is trimming the
~price of a popular computer. :
- The Asian financial turbulence, which has
buffeted the currency and stock markets of
far-flung economies, may offer unexpected
‘opportunities and benefits to American con
.+ “The economic crisis in Asia has a silver
lining,” said Greg Mastel of the Economic
Strategy Institute in Washirigton.
Companies making goods in Asia to sell
elaqwhere may see sales soar — with the
region’s currencies tumbling, manu
will be cheaper, which will help keep infla
-tion cool. With inflationary pressures subsid
ing, interest rates should remain low, a bo
“pus for consumers wanting to buy a house or
et Nalir: Lawyers for N.Y. cops hits back in plungerc.-- - -
wkat World: Egypt unveils world’s oldest metal statue- Page 2\
=~ Augusta Focus
See : i
Page 1B Serving Metropolitan Augusta, South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Areo
HE COLUMBIA COUNTY jr
News|
;}f; INCY .
» 8 p—c 1T
Columbia 's
8282831 Legal Organ of Coluwmbie Gty MHe
% \* :
F b ‘v‘vl‘; l E
ot el e S i e
& Closed
o nirond oo
"
...-?:"E
R
oAt and Ford
osed Monday, ke 26
“ame Dinner
fesmorial United
burch wifl be Bave
annual Wild Gt
» lan 31 frowe SOO
+ Tihats ane $lO I
:“:‘n.-‘l'tc.l
A offiee o 8636795,
e Cvamy
WW
2 Jan. -l-!p-‘:
. The Nonh Hardem
oty Veokents will pre
wogram.
o s s
et
frows 10 am -2 pi
c.'l‘*d
o call Pesde
u-pgxfi
gty oy v
o
:.1-0- -2
oL
The January 20, 1998 edition of The News Times is the last
one published before the Columbia County weekly came
under the control of Augusta Chronicle publisher Billy
Morris.
Acquisition of The News Times repre
sents a real coup for Morris because it
isthelegal gazette for Columbia County,
Harlem and Grovetown.
the spring of 1997.
Taking advantage of Shelnut’s
financial resources, the
refinance a mortgage.
Other opportunities may emerge from
the gloom.
Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea, in
exchange for multibillion-dollar rescue pack
ages from international donors, must re
vamp their economies. Trade barriers are
likely to be torn down, allowing outsiders
into the lucrative steel, auto and financial
sectors.
The crisis provides “a historic opportu
nity for the United States to convince
troublesome Asian trading partners to
change their ways,” said Mastel.
Asian analyst Charles Morrison of the
East-West Center in Honolulu cautions,
though, “there is a danger in looking too
narrowly” in any advantages offered by the
crisis. “Then, there will be kind of a back
lash against us. There is a simmering view
that we welcome and gloat in it ... without a
realization of the tremendous dangers.”
To be sure, the financial turmoil that has
swept through Asia since the summer poses
great risks not only for that region but for
Aweak Asia, i ) dinge dpan, the world’s
second-largest economy, could stifle eco
nomicgrowth in America, which could even
tually lead to job lesses, maybe even corpo
rate closures. ¢
Wall Street has already been rattled by
See ASIAN MARKET, page 3A
JANUARY 22 - 28, 1998
News Times, which had been go
ing nowhere in the late 908, un
derwent a redesign, bolstered its
editorial staff with many former
Chronicle employees, increased the
quality of its coverage, and — more
importantly — wooed a signifi
cant number of Chronicle account
reps.
The move got the attention of
the downtown Augusta-Richmond
based daily which promptly shifted
resources and personnel into the‘
burgeoning Columbia County
market directly countering
News Times advances. The news
paper wars — or skirmish — was
the talk of the region. Area ana
lysts predicted a Chronicle offen-i
sive, but no one would have
thought that Shelnut would have
capitulated so quickly.
With the acquisition by the
Chronicle’s owner, Southeastern
Newspapers, the News Times is in
the hands of its third owner since
1992. With the News Times firmly
in tow, Mr. Morris now owns Au
gusta Magazine, The Augusta
Chronicle, The News Times, and
its newly published Augusta Busi
ness Chronicle. While the
News Times will continue to pub
lish under the same name, the
Augusta Regional Business Jour
nal will cease publication.
Although the News Times had a
circulation of less than 10,000 at
the time of Shelnut’s purchase, it
represents a real prize for Morris
because it is the legal gazette for
Columbia County, Harlem and
Grovetown. Morris now controls
the legal organ in the two most
vibrant Augusta metropolitan
counties.
The acquisition of the
News Times represents just a tiny
patch of the Morris media empire.
In 1994, Morris sealed a $275 mil
lion deal to buy Stauffer Commu
nications Inc., a collection of 20
daily newspapers and 11 televi
sion and radio stations. Since that
See MORRIS, page 3A
o
: é ..» > 4 |
R 4
,;4"!
Tl LT
Aretha set to release
album Number 49
See 1B
(FE N ENEEREENENNREENENNENENNNNNN
@National/International..............ccecvrvennee. 24
SLocal/Regional News..............cccconvnicuenees 3A
RO I,aoco6os saethlasiovessobsnscini sassisistsbonssgorin SN
®Editorial/Opinion ............c.coceernereneenn. SA-9A
BChurch News...........cccccovevivreenresscrene. 38-4 B
WSports ‘*; 6A
BARTLIDOS .o LBl eYit 1B
®Classifieds/Employment ................... 58-TB
A .
\ : b ; .’n .’l .‘::‘;h';t
--g v
N RRAE PEPLBER 5. P
g ‘," d ’ ‘lv i, “y g,"-,v'b T e 5 Y
.'.‘;’.’\" “0‘;“«» b.
S ) Tt e & "‘ g ‘.“' -
P S "'/f": J
SRS A Y LA s
-~ T f':‘.{»e\'. j.z:.:s,
2w PP I o 25 Rl
' N;’ “‘.. h .\ '.’
l.«vl‘ 5 f ’wd R e § e
* ‘; ‘4 b r’/ L j
s., LVQe @ G & ¢
.'l. o ™ l i iy
- Wi y fl
e pit B * .
s b \
- . ‘e 4 .
'
] %
.: 7 ,
During the 1963 March on Washington, King delivers his,
now famous, “I Have A Dream” speech. AP photo.
Nation pays homage
to Dr. King’s ideals
ATLANTA
(AP) Retired educator Edward C.
Riley knew the Reverend Martin
Luther KingdJr. not only asa men
tor, but asa friend whom hewatched
moveintothehelm of the civil rights
movement.
Asasenior at Alabama State Uni
versity in Montgomery in 1954,
Riley was King’s
chauffeur after King
became pastor at
Dexter Avenue Bap
tist Church. And
when Riley gradu
ated from college,
King was there —as
the commencement
speaker.
“I ghall never for
get the night I went
across that stageand
he said, ‘Well, Geor
gia boy, you made
it,”’ said Riley, who
now livesin Augusta. Charles Jones
“He was a dynamic man, with that
melodious voice that would inspire
you and motivate you.”
Riley joined others in remember
ingtheslain civil rights leader Mon
day on the federal holiday celebrat
ing King’s birthday. King, who was
born in Atlanta, would have been
69 on Jan. 15.
This year is the 30th anniversary
of his death.
In Atlanta, Vice President Al Gore
and Gov. Zell Miller will join civil
rights leaders and elected officials
at Ebenezer Baptist Church where
King once preached.
Gore reportedly planned to use
the occasion to announce a major
new initiative to improve enforce
ment of the nation’s civil rights
laws, asking Congress for al7 per
cent increase in funds for prevent
to relieve court backlogs.
The AtlantaJournal-Constitution
and the Los Angeles Times, in re
ports for Monday editions, reported
that the White House proposal
would raise civil rights spending
from $516 million to $602 million in
the 1999 budget. Full details will be
induz in next ypay pro
posal that eg: I will
fllb'nit m cm ”‘ S A 4
The National Association for t!e
Advancement of Colored People
sponsored a parade for King in Au
gusta, where King spoke lessthan a
month before his death.
“There was an urgency in that
visit,” said the Rev. Nathaniel Irvin,
aretired assistant principal. “Look
ingback, it was like he knew he was
about to be assassinated. It was like
?,« ; ';:,‘, % 3 ,’? «i;gaj; T %f‘ ‘&M
%f" W -,19‘5‘; .;p” ’ y‘ ;,)f N
"”w‘:’%m“k i
‘&' I ARE 4 N A v
{ o 570 AT T . i e
|TS i i
iB7 e 3 i
\FE gk i o o
_fl,;::;, fwx}z‘ ZER ,g, ’
Sl
| :nmh e P
- i b i R
Banners hung outside of the Ebenezer
Baptist Church in Atlanta where King was
pastor during ceremonies this week. Photo by
a fireball had arrived when he fi
nally got there. Just his appearance
there, it electrified us.”
Other Georgia cities on Monday
honored King with parades, memo
rial services and marches.
“We are setting a precedent here
in celebratingMLK Day,” said Isaac
Owens, a coordinator of Cordele’s
day-longcelebration which included
a breakfast, worship service, rally
and march.
“I don’t think people really know
what the celebration is about, espe
cially children. Young people really
don’t know that much about the
life of the Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr.” B
In Macon, a town hall meeting
was held on the city’s race rela
tions. '
“We've come a long way, but our
community is still segregated. We
work together, but we don’t inter
act socially. We don’t live in the
same neighborhoods, so we have
segregated schoolsforthe most part.
Churches, by and large, are segre
gated,” said Jack Ellis, host of the
Macon television show, Commu
nity Forum.
“I think there’s a need for us to
start talking to each other, and I
thought Dr. King’s birthday would
be an appropriate time to do that.”
5
) i
122197 |
0/ GA